Tool mechanism for gear-cutting machines



A. L. STEWART, E. W. BULLOCK AND S. H. EARL. T001 MECHANISM FOR GEARcunme MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. I920.

Patented May 17, 1921.

MMWNsEZS M ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR. L. STEWART, EDWARD w. BULLOCK, AND scHUvLEE H. EARL, OFROCHESTER, NEW YORK, 'AssIeNoRs To GLEASON woExs, OE ROCHESTER, NEWYORK, A CORPORATION OF nEw YORK.

'IlOOL MECHANISM FOR GEAR-CUTTING MACH IRES.

Specification of Letters Extent. Patented pl 17 1921 Originalapplication filed October 24, 1919, Serial No. 333,014. Dividedand thisapplication iiled June 1, 1920. Serial No. 385,645.

To all whom it may concern,

Be it known that we, ARTHUR L. STEWART, EDWARD W. BULLOCK, and SCHUYLERH. EARL, citizens of the United States of America, residing atRochester, in the county of Monr0e and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Tool Mechanism for Gear-CuttingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to tool mechanism for gear "cutting and'othermetal planing machines, and is a division of application Serial No.333,014, filedOctober 24, 1919.

A principal purpose of the improvement is to afford an improvedreciprocating tool mechanism, of such form as to effectually obviate anychatter during the cutting stroke.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and practicalconstruction for rigidly maintaining the tools while cutting, and alsoreadily permitting Withdrawal of the tools from the blank during thereturn or non-cutting stroke.

Another object is to provide improved tool slide supporting means so asto give a firm, strong support for the tool slides.

With these and other ends in view, the invention consists in certainimprovements and combinations of parts, as will-appear clearly from thefollowing description, the. novel features being pointed out in theclaims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the tool carriages of a bevel gearcutting appa;

ratus with the tool mechanism of the present invention applied to one ofthe tool Carriages; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the tool box;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the parts shown in Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional .view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and I Fig.5 is an end elevation ofcthev tool su )porting arms and slides.

t will be understood that the invention tration, it is here shown inconnection with the usual type of bevel gearmachine, in

which 1 designates an oscillatory carriage upon which are mounted a pairof tool slldes Q-and 3, which are reciprocated Within the arms 4 and 5,the latter being suitably supported on the carriage 1, and for thepurposes of the present disclosure it is unnecessary to set forth theparticular mechanlsm .by which the slides 2 and 3 are reciprocated. Itis-suflicient, for an understanding of this invention,-to know that theslides 2 and 3 are alternately moved back and forth across the blankoperated upon, and the invention of this application has to do with thetool mechanism upon the slides 2 and 3.

Bolted to each tool slide 2 and 3 is a tool box 6, and mounted withinthe latter is a pivoted clapper block 7 mounted to swing about the axis8 and limited in its movement by engagement with the Wall 9,

as shown in Fig. 3. The tool 10 is held I in place on the clapper blockby a binder plate 11 and bolts 12, which retain the tool agalnst thetool holder 13, the latter enga mg a wedge 14. As the slide travels bacand forth, the clapper block and tool are oscillated about the axis 8 inorder to present thetool in cutting position to the blank during thecutting stroke, and to withdraw the tool from the blank during thereturn or non-cutting stroke, as'common 'tool' slide travels on itsreturn stroke, the tension exerted on the connecting rod 15 rocks theclapper block so as to withdraw the tool, andduring the cutting strokes'uflicient pressure is exerted onthe connecting rod 15 to rock theclapper block in the opposite directionand move the tool into cuttingposition.

"clined to the direction of travel of the tool slide. As the connectingrod 15 is forced toward the clapper block 7 the latter is held in itsoutermost position by means of the cooperating inclined surfaces, thetongue 18 acting as a wedge on the clapper block and serving to preventthe slightest chatter, any lost motion being taken up automatically bythe necessary additional inward movement of the tongue 18. During thereturn stroke, the connecting rod 15 is withdrawn with relation to theclapper block, and the outward movement of the tongue 18 causes acorresponding inward movement of the clapper block, withdrawing the toolfrom the Work, and holding the tool withdrawn during the return ornon-cutting stroke of the tool.

The advantages of this feature of the invention are due largely to themanner of connecting the rod 15 and the clapper block, so that thecutting position of the tool and its retention against chatter isdependent upon two cooperative engaging surfaces, one wedging againstthe other.. This insures an absolutely firm, rigid supporting connectionfor the tool, while also permitting the latter to be readily and quicklywithdrawn from cutting position during the return stroke.

As an additional means for imparting rigidity to the tools, each toolsupporting arm 4 and 5 is provided with undercut portions or dovetailguideways 19, and the tool slides are similarly formed to engage theways 19. Each tool slide is supported on its under surface by thelowermost surface of the guideway in which it travels, and is alsoprovided with an adjustable wedge member 20 for takin up any lost motionor wear between the slide and the arm. I By arranging the tool slides soas to project within guideways of the tool arm, and to be supported uponthe bottom surfaces of such guideways,

a more stable and consequently more efiicient construction is had.

The particular disclosure of this application may be modified in variousways, and the purpose is to cover any such changes or departures as maycome within the underlying features of the improvements and the scope ofthe following claims.

We claim:

1. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a pivoted clapperblock, a tool secured to the clapper block, and means for tilting theclapper block on the return stroke of the tool comprising a frictionclamp, a connecting vi-rod slidable in the friction clamp, the clapperblock having a recess therein, and a projecting portion carried by theconnecting rod and engaging said recess.

2. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockand tool mounted thereon, and means for tilting the clapper block on thereturn stroke of the tool to movethe latter from cutting relation with ablank, said means comprising a friction clamp and a connecting rodmovable in the friction clamp and connected to the clapper block so asto effect a wedging action thereon during the cutting stroke.

3. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockmounted thereon, a tool secured to the clapper block, and means fortilting the clapper block on the return stroke of the tool to remove thelatter from cutting relation with a blank, said means comprising afriction clamp the clapper block having a recess therein disposed at anangle to its line of travel, and a connecting rod slidable in said clampand provided with an angular projecting portion engaging said recess inthe clapper block.

4. he combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockmounted thereon, a tool secured to the clapper block, and means fortilting the clapper block on the return stroke of the tool to remove thelatter from cutting relation with a blank,

said means comprising a friction clamp, and a connecting device movablein the friction clamp and loosely engaging the clapper block andeffecting a wedging action thereon during the cutting operation.

5. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockmovable thereon, a tool secured to the clapper block, and means fortilting the clapper block during the return stroke of the tool to removethe latter from cutting relation with a blank, said means comprising afriction clamp, and a connecting device movable in the friction clampand operatively associated with the clapper block so as to hold thelatter rigidly and prevent any lost motion thereof during the returnstroke of the tool.

6. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockmounted thereon for holding a tool, and means for tilting the clapperblock during the return stroke of the tool to remove the latter fromcuttin relation with a blank, said means comprising a friction clamp anda connecting device movable in the friction clam and loosely associatedwith the clapper filock whereby to tilt the latter in oppositedirections during the cuttin and return strokes of the tool and to ho dthe clapper block rigidly during the cutting stroke.

7. The combination with a reciprocating tool. slide, of a clapper blockmounted thereon and holding a tool, and means for tilting the clapperblock during the return stroke of the tool for removing the latter fromcutting relation with a blank, said means comprising a friction clamp,and a connecting device movable in the friction clamp and looselyconnected with a clapper block, the said connecting device and clapperblock having cooperating surfaces which are inclined to the line oftravel of the tool slide and serve to hold the clapper block in cuttingposition by a wedging action.

8. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockmounted thereon for supporting a tool, and means for tilting the clapperblock during the return stroke of the tool to remove the latter fromcutting relationship with a blank, said means comprising a frictionclamp, a connectlng device movable 1n the fr1ct1on clamp, a clapperblock having a recess device cooperating with said recess and havingopposlte surfaces also inclined to the line of travel of the tool slideand arranged to cooperate with the corresponding surfaces of the recessso as to swing the clapper block back and forth according to thedirection of travel of the tool slide.

9. The combination with a reciprocating tool slide, of a clapper blockmounted thereon for supporting a tool, and means for tilting the clapperblock during the return stroke of the tool to remove the latter fromcutting relation with a blank, said means comprising a friction clampand a connecting device slidable in the friction clamp and operativelyassociated with the clapper ,block, the connection between the clapperblock and the connecting device being such as to automatically take upany lost motion between said parts.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names.

ARTHUR L. STEWART. EDWARD W. BULLOCK. SCHUYLER H. EARL.

